Ford Racing 3 Review

Jay Leno's Parking Lot

Granted, this game only has Ford cars (you did get that from the title, didn’t you?), but you delight in which cars they are. Never driven a Mach 1? You will. Never driven a 1928 Model T? You will. Mustangs galore, concept cars, and oddities (like the ’78 Capri) abound in this game. You can even race pickups and dune buggies in the same race as high performance sports cars. Seem a little skewed? Just think about it: a Model T versus the Ford Race Road Car. In what universe would the Model T ever win against the superior vehicle? In the Ford Racing 3 universe, that’s where.

It Looks Nice…

Graphically, this game pushes the capabilities of the Xbox. The cars are modeled beautifully (though damage is nonexistent, but blame the car manufacturer, not the gamemakers), and the environments are scaled nicely and are rich in detail. There are fallen leaves, bouncy bridges, and first-class two story houses in nice neighborhoods you’ll want to move into. They also have your standard track designs. You can race in sand, snow, blacktop and a couple of the tracks have any combination of the three. The coolest track in Ford Racing 3 is one that’s based on Asian culture. You can drive around a big statue of Buddha, while tearing up the landscape around an ancient village. Hmm, I can check that off my list of life things to do.

…But the Physics Aren't

The game and car physics are deplorable in Ford Racing 3. The cars feel like they’re floating and it’s useless to push the brakes. It seems you’re in a constant powerslide even though you’re going straight. Don’t mind the fact that you can’t damage your cars, just mind the fact that you can push and shove your way to 1st place by bashing other cars into walls and trees and use them as bouncing boards turning corners and angling them into other cars. Sure it’s not fair, but you’re goal is 1st place, right?

When grabbing some air and landing, you have the worst shocks: When you hit the ground, you spring for awhile, like Tigger. Also bad are the way the cars interact with the backgrounds. Driving through a creek gets you a generic splashing sound and no slow-down to your car. You drive right through like it was part of the road.

There are Positives

The best thing about the game are the game and race types. There are a lot of races to complete and unlock with varying degrees of difficulty. Ford Competition consists of 14 themed races that, when won, unlock Trophies, Vehicles, more tracks and race types. Ford Challenge is a series of pre-chosen races and driving challenge that also open up trophies, cars, and more tracks. The Ford Challenge lets you use any of the stuff you’ve unlocked to create your own set of races.

Race types give the game some differences and make it a little more enjoyable than if it didn’t have them. The Standard race is, well, your standard race to win 1st place. Elimination is when the 5th and 6th place cars are knocked out on the first lap, the 3rd and 4th place cars are eliminated on the second lap and it’s a head to head race on the final lap. Duel is like survival mode. You race 5 challengers in succession; winning each lap starts the next with a new set of challengers. In Drafting you have to get behind your opponent and follow them closely without touching or hitting them. In Driving Skills, you have to pass through a number of gates on one lap in a set amount of time. Seconds Out has you collecting bonuses from around the track while completing the lap in a given time limit. Racing Line allows you a boost option. There’s a line on the track that, when driven on, gives you boost capabilities. In the Boost races, you get two boots per lap to use against your seemingly unlimited boosted opponents. Overtake makes you pass the required number of cars before the time runs out.

Your Kids' First Racing Game

For $15 dollars, the game is just okay. It’s good for kids who want to play a racing game or for adult gamers looking for the nostalgia of the Ford era. Don’t expect Gran Turisimo quality gaming or Sega GT coolness, because as we all know... “You get what you pay for”.